End Of The Beginning
by BC1234
Summary: Tara and the boys are recovering from the Cuban Missile Crisis. Some maybe better than others...Are things going to get better or will things spiral down.


**Disclaimer: I do not claim ownership of X-Men; I only claim ownership of Tara.**

TARA:

I was currently making lunch for everyone right now. It has been a month since the Cuban missile crisis, a month since Charles became paralyzed, and a month since Erik and Raven left us. But I was happy since it was two weeks till I turned 12!

At the mansion I had designated myself to do the cooking and the cleaning. Right now I was making mini pizzas for everyone. Of course since my arm was still obsolete thanks to my shoulder having to recover I had to do it all telekinetically.

"Hey Tara!" Sean said running into the room with Alex. They're training must be over. We all had different training schedules since we all had different powers.

For instance I had training on my lightning powers from 9:00am to 10:00am on Tuesdays and Thursdays. I have training with my telekinesis and telepathy from 3:00pm to 5:00pm on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Finally I have combat training on Saturdays from 2:00pm to 5:00pm.

"Do you need any help?" Alex asked as they sat down. I brought them some soda.

"I'm fine. Just relax for a minute." I said going back to the pizzas since they were done. I turned off the oven and brought them out.

"Thanks Tara!" Alex and Sean said, kissing me on the cheek as I handed them there food. I quickly scoped out where Charles and Hank were. Charles was rolling down the hallway and would be here in a minute. Hank was in his lab…again.

I sighed as Charles rolled in.

"Not happy to see me?" he said in mock hurt. I perked up and ran over to hug him.

"No I am! But…Hank's taking his change really hard." I said looking down. It didn't help any of us that Raven left. She was like a mother to me. Charles was always thinking that he let her down. Hank was heartbroken.

"I know. But he is getting better." Charles said. I nodded and put his pizza in his place. He smiled and kissed my cheek in thanks. I went and took out the last pizza besides mine and started going to the door.

"I'm going to go give Hank his pizza." I said and walked off knowing they heard me. I walked to his lab and knocked on the door.

"Come in…" Hank said. I opened the door telekinetically of course and smiled at him.

"I brought pizza." I said and set it down before him. He smiled and moved away from his microscope. I looked in and I saw he was looking at his DNA.

"Are you looking for a cure again?" I asked staring him down. He rubbed the back of his neck.

"I know it's nearly impossible but…" I took the microscope away not letting him finish.

"Tara!" he yelled about to come over but I stopped him.

"_I WANT EVERYONE IN THE MAIN DEN RIGHT NOW!" _I telepathically screamed. Hank looked shocked but nodded and left the lab. I was the last one to arrive in the den. They all looked at me as I put my hands on my hips.

"You guys promised me that things were gonna get better. I have waited a month, hauled up in this place, and things are going nowhere. Hank's depressed and won't sleep trying to find a cure. Charles, you are depressed of how Raven left but trying to hide it. Alex still thinks he is a monster with his powers and Sean is still underestimating himself sometimes! I'm sick of it! I hate how you are all depressed and feeling sorry for themselves! I have to listen to you EVERY DAY!" I screamed out before I just walked out. I would have stayed but I don't want them to see me cry. I just want my family to get better.

I ran to my room jumping on my bed before I let myself cry.

"Things were suppose to get better…"

ALEX:

I can't believe I was so blind to not see Tara was hurting like we all were.

"We did put a lot of responsibility on her" Hank said looking down.

"Why is it we always forget she's still 11 years old. She's so mature you forget." I said looking down.

"We all do at times including me. We forget she never had a chance to act her age and we forget she needs one." Charles said rolling over to us.

"Can't we make it up to her?" Sean asked looking at us. My head shot up remembering something.

"Her birthday is in two weeks…isn't it?" I said looking to them.

"That's perfect Alex." Charles said with a smile. We all quickly started making up a plan.

TARA:

The next day I left everything from the day before behind me. I had to clean anyway. It only took me an hour since I found a unique way of doing it. I would meditate and let my telekinesis do the job! I had to do it every 5 days but now that I found the technique it was easy!

After I was done I went downstairs to make breakfast when I saw…Sean trying to make pancakes?

"What are you doing?" I asked going over to him to make sure of what I was seeing. He turned to me.

"Making…pancakes?" he said. Even he wasn't sure what it was. "We wanted to make your workload less." Sean said with a smile. I had to smile back.

"Your burning them." I said and he sighed. I laughed and walked over.

"Why don't I teach you?" I asked. He agreed and I showed him the right way to make pancakes. After that all the boys began to help me and soon the only things I regularly did were clean, train, and cook dinner. Soon though… it was my birthday! My birthday was November 13! It was so cool because it was snowing a little today!

I got dressed in dark blue jeans, a white shirt that said "You're never too old for NAPTIME!" I did my hair like Alex showed me too and as I was about to leave to go downstairs Alex burst in my room.

"Don't you knock?" I said putting my hands on my hips. He smirked and shrugged. I rolled my eyes and started to go to my door but he stopped me.

"Is there a reason I am not allowed out of my room?" I asked with a raised eyebrow. Alex nodded.

"Are you going to tell me?" I asked but he shook his head. I sighed when all of a sudden he blindfolded me!

"Alex what are you doing?" I asked laughing.

"I need to take you to your birthday surprise!" he said picking me up and leading me somewhere.

"You guys didn't have to do anything for my birthday…" I said softly.

"We wanted to. You only turn 12 once." He said putting me in a seat. I smiled and nodded and leaned back as he started to drive the car. At least I was out of my sling. It was nice I was allowed to celebrate the day of my birth for once in my life.

All of a sudden though Alex slammed what I thought was the steering wheel. I jumped and turned to him.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"You were projecting…" he said and I gasped, quickly apologizing.

"I wonder why we protect humans sometimes when there are those like your parents…" he muttered but I heard anyway.

"Cause of the good people like Moira…we might not know a lot of good humans now but when we do that will make all of this worth it." I said patting his shoulder when I found it. He ruffled my hair.

"Would it kill you to act your age?" he asked and I nodded my head firmly making him laugh. Soon he stopped the car and led me somewhere. It was really cold and he put my hands on some glass. He then took off the blindfold and I gasped. It was an ice rink…

On the ice were Sean, Hank, and Charles in his wheelchair with pink balloons that said HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY TARA!" they yelled and I began to cry in happiness. I hugged Alex saying thank you a million times I bet. For two hours they taught me how to skate and then I used telekinesis to get Charles on the ice with us. We were the only ones there the entire time.

After that we got off the ice and had hot chocolate which is REALLY good as I have now found out. Then they brought out wrapped presents.

"W-what?" I said in shock. Are these for me?

"_Well of course."_ Charles thought. I was hesitant to touch the presents. They were wrapped in shiny black and pink paper. Sean pushed two presents in front of me.

"These are from me…and you can rip the paper." He said with a grin. I smiled and ripped the paper on the first and opened the box smiling in glee. There was a camera inside! Sean explained how to work it.

"I love it!" I exclaimed and he laughed telling me to open the other one. I squealed when I did because inside were pink bedazzled roller skates.

"Don't use those inside." Chares warned and I nodded kissing Sean on the cheek and giving him a hug.

"My turn…" Alex said handing me his presents. I opened the first revealing a black leather jacket.

"Oh god…" Sean said. I laughed and Alex helped me put it on. I opened the other one and found in glee that they were black combat boots.

"He is turning her into Mini-Alex!" Hank exclaimed in mock horror. Alex glared at the two as I put them on but calmed down when I hugged him and kissed him on the cheek.

Hank then gave me his presents and I opened the first to find a pink tiara. I squealed at Hank put it on me.

"You all enjoy spoiling her don't you?" Charles said with a grin.

"I don't mind…" I said and they all got a laugh out of that. Then I opened the big box to find a huge black teddy bear with a pink boy. Hank and the teddy bear found themselves in a hug. I kissed Hank on the cheek before nuzzling the bear.

"It's so fluffy!" I screamed and laughed. **(I watched Despicable Me last night so this was on my mind.)**

"I guess that leaves me then." Charles said, rolling over to me. He handed me my first present and I gasped on what was inside. It was a really pretty necklace. It had a yellow gem and curly waves of silver on the bottom right and small diamonds on the top left. I looked to Charles.

"This was my mother's and my grandmother's before her. I want you to have it." He said patting my head. I smiled and nodded. "Thank you…" I said as he put it around my neck. Then he handed me the last box. It was thin and very light. "Here's the big one…" he said as I opened it.

I gasped and dropped the lid of the box as I saw what was inside. Papers…with the title of NEW YORK ADOPTION PAPERS. I looked to Charles with tears in my eyes.

"All four of you have been family to me more than my biological will ever be, especially you Tara. Since I see you as a daughter…" he began to say until I tackled him in a hug.

"Yes! Yes! Yes! A million times, Yes!" I said as I began to cry.

"Don't cry!" Sean said concerned. I smiled and looked to them.

"I-I'm happy." I said and I hugged c- **my dad** again and he hugged me back. I quickly signed the papers as the boys told me to do. I hugged my dad again.

"I love you daddy…" I said as he hugged me so tight it was almost painful. Then I got an idea in my head.

"Everyone get around daddy!" I said in excitement. They smiled and even though they were confused, did as I asked. I got on dad's lap and put my arms around him as I made the camera float in the air.

"I want to take a picture!" I said and they nodded getting into the picture frame.

"Say cheese!" I said but even though they didn't I took the picture anyway. I made it float towards us. Alex, Sean, and hank were behind daddy with Sean having his arms around the two. Daddy had his arms around me.

"This has been the best day ever…" I said leaning onto my daddy yawning.

"Someone's tired…" Alex said in amusement. As I drifted off to sleep I managed to send one thought to the others.

"_Thank you for keeping the promise…"_


End file.
